With recent advancement in electronics, many vehicles are provided with an electronic control unit (ECU) for controlling not only an engine but also various types of electronic components such as a battery, a door, a lamp, and a wiper. In order to improve user's convenience, the electronic components installed in the vehicle can also be controlled by remote operation by transmitting a signal to the vehicle (ECU) from a mobile terminal device such as a remote controller.
For example, a vehicle remote operation system is disclosed that causes a vehicle to execute a required operation in accordance with a remote operation request from a user (see JP 2007-15506A). When, for example, the ambient temperature is high in summer, the user can activate an air conditioner by remote operation in advance before he or she gets inside the vehicle, and set the temperature in the vehicle interior to an appropriate temperature.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a power supply control apparatus for a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 7, the power supply control apparatus for a vehicle includes a power supply unit 80 that is constituted by a high-voltage battery 81, a DC/DC converter 82, an auxiliary battery 83, and the like, a remote operation signal obtaining unit 70 for obtaining a remote operation signal from a remote controller, a power supply control unit 200, relays 10 and 20, fuses 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34, and the like. An air conditioner 1 and another component (such as an ECU) 2 are connected to an electrical path that is opened and closed by the relay 10. Also, a wiper 3, a washer 4, and a turn signal relay 5, serving as loads, are connected to an electrical path that is opened and closed by the relay 20.
The power supply state of a vehicle shifts from an “OFF” state to an “Accessory-ON (ACC-ON)” state, an “Ignition-ON (IG-ON)” state, and a state for starting an engine (READY-ON), in that order. In the “ACC-ON” state, electrical power is applied to at least one device such as an audio device, and in the “IG-ON” state, electrical power is applied to all the devices. If a vehicle in which operations of devices can be controlled externally of the vehicle by remote operation has received a remote operation signal from, for example, a remote controller, the power supply state is shifted to the “IG-ON” state, and the air conditioner 1 or another device (such as an ECU) 2 is activated.